Harlow Council in Essex aims to take a harder line with private landlords by introducing civil penalties as an alternative to prosecution.
Landlord leader Ben Beadle has pinned the shortage of private rental sector homes squarely on the Government, saying George Osborne’s decision in 2015 to cut mortgage interest tax relief for landlords has been the key driver of the current stock crisis.
Tenants on benefits will get more help when paying court fees during evictions and claiming Rent Repayment Orders after the government expanded its Help with Fees scheme.
Burnley Council has launched plans to clamp down on landlords converting homes into small HMOs.
PRS chief Sean Hooker relects on the bumpy ride landlords face in the coming months, and how they can get prepared for the changes.
The average mortgaged landlord paid 37% of their rent on mortgage interest in August, up from a low of 24% in November 2021, according to Hamptons.
Thirty charities and non-profit organisations have written to the Prime Minister urging him to ensure the Renters Reform Bill is passed during this Parliament.
A WhatsApp-style ‘dating service’ designed to marry up landlords and tenants has launched seeking to simplify London’s ‘chaotic’ private rented sector and rival established portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla.
Average rents in England jump 4% in a year to February while voids dropped from 24 to 20 days
Almost three quarters of rental fraud involves young people, official data has revealed.
Carl Bayley is the author of more than twenty ‘Plain English’ TaxCafe published tax guides designed for the layperson and the non-specialist
Court ruling lets tenants challenge rent arrears from Universal Credit, risking landlords avoiding tenants on benefits, expert warns.
Fenland Council has introduced an immediate Article 4 Direction before its consultation in a bid to clamp down on burgeoning HMOs in Wisbech.
Landlords in County Durham have had to fork out fines totalling £1.38 million in the three years since selective licensing was introduced.
Peers have tabled amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill which, if approved, would shape the legislation into a version of the previous Renters’ Reform Bill.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that unless more rental properties are built her recent promise to ‘attract the best talent to the UK’ and boost economic growth will fall flat.
Private HMO landlords leaving the sector have created a shortage of student housing, according to Unite Students, which boasts that it can help fill the gap with purpose-built student accommodation.
Five fraudsters who stole £53.9 million in a huge benefits scam used false tenancy agreements to help them make claims.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged Minister to ignore rebel MPs’ calls for selective licencing to be replaced by the looming Landlord Portal.
The number of landlords instructing agents to rent properties has declined for a second quarter in a row, fuelling ongoing worries that the Government’s ‘anti-buy-to-let’ mood music is disrupting the market.
A landlord who blamed her agent and tenants for not telling her about a selective licensing scheme has been hit with a £10,572 rent repayment order.
If you are involved with Furnished Holiday Lets you are probably be aware by now that there are far reaching tax changes coming - what to do about them?
Total fines for London’s rogue landlords and agents have topped £10 million since the rogue landlord database launched in 2017.
Private landlords face a significant increase in competition from corporate operators within the rented sector as investors reveal a £17 billion, 60,000-home building programme concentrated on the South and Midlands.
It’s almost inevitable that court fees will have to rise considerably, and probably sooner than 2025/6 unless alternative funding is added direct from the Treasury, according to property lawyer David Smith.
As a tenant how do you know your landlord – or agent – is a good one? There are checks renters can carry out – looking at online reviews, the government’s rogue landlord database, or contacting The Property Ombudsman.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has vowed to build 6,000 new ‘rent control’ homes across London if he’s elected for a third term in next month’s election.
Redbridge Council has gone live with its big new selective licencing scheme that applies to most private rented properties in 15 of the London borough’s wards.
Unite Students is poised to report rental income growth of at least 6% due to sustained demand, despite new visa rules affecting international students.
Landlords and property investors who buy privately-held multi-property portfolios in Wales are to lose another tax perk.
A leading landlord in the SW has slammed the Government’s ongoing assault on the private rented sector, saying the efforts of Michael Gove and his predecessors puzzle ‘honourable and decent’ operators like him.
Changes to income and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) that came in over the weekend could mean reduced investment in the PRS and insurance premiums, warns an insurance expert.
Paul Shamplina has assembled a panel of experts to run a training day this summer that will advise and coach landlords to navigate the tough economic and regulatory environment facing the privately rented sector.
Poorly insulated homes will be sent annual gas bills about £340 – around 50% - higher than those with a C-rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) under Ofgem’s latest price cap, new research has found.
Holiday let owners are facing a significant dip in bookings this year as the sector feels the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, poor weather and an increasingly saturated market.
The UK’s commercial property sector is experiencing challenges: high interest rates, inflation, lower property values, and liquidity problems for lenders and borrowers.
Some build-to-rent developments are increasingly falling foul of Rent Repayment Order (RRO) legislation, in a move away from its original aim to tackle poor HMOs, it has been claimed.
The Social Market Foundation has argued that fears about stricter regulations reducing the supply of rental properties are ‘overblown’.
A rented house which was transformed into a highly ornate classical ‘villa’ by its former tenant has been granted a Grade II listing.
The Green Party is unlikely to win many votes from landlords after launching its manifesto ahead of a General Election later this year and the May 2nd local elections.
A mother and son landlord duo are to repay their former tenants £15,000 in a case highlighting how the rent repayment order system can be very one-sided.
By now you’ve probably heard of Landlord Sales Agency, and our articles that suggest the market is in favour of landlords selling.
